Happy Easter - Easter Blessing Arch

Hi friends! Dana here today sharing an arch I created for the Happy Easter theme this week. I started with an inner cut from the Arabian-Style Layered Arch Frame. Next, I covered the arch with a piece of pastel plaid patterned paper.

I embellished the bottom of the arch with a piece of Grass-Flexistrip that I colored with green acrylic paint. I added some "eggs" to the grass, which are some leftover circles from the Round Grid that I also colored with acrylic paint.

I added an Easter bunny die-cut to the top of the arch. I embellished the bunny with a gold bow and some pink glitter glue for the cheeks and ears. I stamped a sentiment with purple chalk ink onto a piece of white cardstock and then cut it out and glued it across the widest section of the arch. I added some dimensional peach paint dots and a decorative looped trim around the edge of the arch to finish.

You can find the chipboard I used for this project in the Tando Creative Retail Store. There are several different styles of arches and grids available. We'd love to see your creativity! Share your work with us in Tando's Creative Zone on Facebook.

Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day in the UK this Sunday so we're celebrating all this week.

I started off by cutting part of the {Grid - Round} to the size I wanted and then soaked it in water for about half hour. After that, I carefully peeled it into 2 pieces. I left it to dry and then sprayed with ink.

Meanwhile, I selected 3 hearts from the {Mini Hearts} and experimented with pouring paint onto them. I mixed blue, white and pink acrylic paints with water to thin them a bit and them poured them all into a cup. Without mixing them, I poured them onto the hearts and kept everything crossed that the hearts didn't buckle  or the paint slide off. Here's a close up once I'd poured them and they'd settled:

They took a day to completely dry and then I gave them a thick coat of {Clear Liquid Glass}  to bring back the shine.

I finished off the card with a die cut panel and a computer generated greeting.

Kaz xxx

Anything Goes - Feb

I'm kicking off February's Anything Goes week  with the card I made for my Dad's birthday.

I started by using a piece of the {Grid Round}  that I'd previously soaked and split and sprayed with spray ink. I then painted some {Mini Stars} and a {Mini Balloon} and doodled on them.

The base of the card and the jagged strip are cut from gelli prints. I've inked through the {Tyres Stencil} on the card base and then assembled all the bits and pieces, finishing with a Digi image and a greeting.

Kaz xxx

Add Fabric - Canvas-Covered ATC

Hi friends! Dana here today sharing a canvas-covered artist trading card for the Add Fabric theme this week. I love the ethereal quality of the backgrounds that can be created with canvas and Gelatos. I applied pink, purple, and yellow Gelatos to a craft mat, spritzed with water, and then pressed an ATC-sized piece of sticky-back canvas into the pool of color. I dried the canvas with a heat tool and then stuck it onto an Artist Trading Card. I sprinkled a layer of Stampendous Spoonful of Silver over the card and then glued on a piece of Round Grid waste that I colored with the same Gelatos for a fun textured layer. I finished this card with some yellow thread and a piece of flair.

You can find the chipboard I used for this project, and a wonderful selection of Stampendous products, in the Tando Creative Retail Store. We'd love to see your creativity! Share your work with us in Tando's Creative Zone on Facebook.

Tag week with Irit

Hello my dear crafty friends and welcome to my first Tando post for 2017.
New year means new  word that we usually pick as our Word of the Year.
My word for 2017 is Journey. Yes, I am not yet sure what Journey it will be, but it should be new, unexplored and exiting.
So as you can see my altered Mixed Media tag is all about this journey.
I made it as a stone road and the sky with stars, as I don't really know  the right way  of this journey.
 And it says " Imagine your next journey"; so you can understand that I am totally not sure about the way.
I used Tando Crocodile stencil to make the stone effect with texture paste (DecoArt) and glitter embossing powders (WOW! Embossing Powders).
When it was dry (heat gun sure worked here extra ) I misted it with copper mist and added DecoArt Crackle paste over the edges. When it was dry I added DecoArt Acrylic paint over the paste.

Tando large chipboard stars were covered with gold and blue embossing powders and then with DecoArt Crackle Glaze and I love the effect a lot.
The arrow was heat embossed with gold powder and then misted with blue mist.
The round golden dots are the left overs from Tando Round. background chipboard and I love to embellish with them as you can paint then to any color to fit your project.

I hope that you like my tag and my word and see you soon again!
Tando products used:
 Tando minis Arrows


Grab bag of stars


Round chipboard


Crocodile stencil


DecoArt Media line

Anything Goes - Honey Bee Arch

Hi friends! Dana here today sharing an arch I created for the Anything Goes theme this week. I created a honey comb from the Gothic Arch Layered Frame and a piece of Round Grid. I covered the back panel and four frames of the Gothic Arch and a piece of Round Grid first with DecoArt White Gesso and then with a coat of DecoArt Primary Yellow Fluid Acrylic Paint. Once dry, I distressed the pieces with DecoArt English Red Oxide Antiquing Cream.

Next, I added some stamping, embossing and some acrylic paint highlights in blue. I then glued the frame together and wrapped the edge with floral fabric tape.

I added some Tom Petty song lyrics with Dymo tape, some teal star sequins and a real bee that my friend found in her yard. (I hope I'm not the only person who loves to be gifted with insects to use on my art projects!) I finished this piece by filling in the frame with resin.

You can find the chipboard I used for this project, and a wonderful selection of DecoArt products, in the Tando Creative Retail Store.

Colour Theme Week

Hi folks,

I have been sooooooooo looking forward to this months colour theme......

and decided to go large ish.............

........and had a play with the gorgeous Noteholder/Pen Pot set........

I started by assembling everything as per the very clear instructions provided with the kit, the edging pieces were not attached at this point as I wanted to paint them in different colours to the pieces they would be attached to.  I chose to glue the 2 base units together to create one large unit but you could keep them separate if you wished.  A base coat of Decoart gesso was added to all elements once the glue was completely dry. 2 coats of acrylic were applied and then some stenciling was done on the outer base and drawer fronts using the Diamond Circle mask.

I built up 2 handles for the drawers using inchies, small circles from the centre of the round grid and hearts from the heart grab bag.  Each handle consisting of 1 inchie, 2 small circles and 1 heart.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! I couldn't cope with the thought of ditching the waste pieces from the kit so I had a play with them and came up with some washi tape holders............

Decorated to match the original make using mini flowers, a heart from the grab bag (as before), the dotted star mask, the sunburst mask, and the hearts background mask.

I really could have gone to town with the right hand one, which I think looks like a bed! I could see lace, sparkle and bedding - maybe a pin-cushion of sorts - let your imagination run riot too!!

If you fancy playing along with any of our monthly themes please feel free to share your makes using the linky tool at the top of the page. You could be in with a chance of winning some fab Tando goodies as any makes linked will be entered in a monthly prize draw.

Many thanks for popping by today,

Hugs 

Dawn x x x 

Colour Theme Week - Large Arch

HI Everyone,

I'm here today to show you my June colour theme make.

I had a play with the fabulous large straight edged arch. This comes in a pack of 2, each with three parts - the base, the frame and the frame centre (I'll show you what I did with the centre next week).

I started by adding the circles, which came from the round grid to the frame, once dry this, and the base, were primed and painted with acrylics. I used a  texture stamp from my stash and stamped randomly on the base with a coordinating acrylic paint. A crackle stamp was used to add some more detail to the frame too. I then stippled the 2 base acrylic colours carefully onto the circles on the frame to tie the piece together.
Octopode Factory's Cheshire cat  and a sentiment were stamped and added to the arch to finish.

Here is what I used.....

If you fancy playing along with us and having a go at any of our themes this month please feel free to link your work using the linky tool at the top of the page. You will be entered into the monthly draw and have a chance of winning some fab Tando goodies. 

Many thanks for popping by today

Dawn x 

Bee Happy ATC with Dana

Hi Tando fans! Dana here today sharing an ATC that I created for the Cover With Paper Theme this week. I covered both the Artist Trading Card and the piece of Round Grid with a grainy tissue paper. I added color with Gelatos, ink and paint. I topped the layers of chipboard with a stamped bee, that I colored with watercolor pencils and a coat of Distress Stickles. I finished the card with a simple sentiment.

You can pick up this chipboard in the Tando Creative Retail Store. We'd love to have you join the Cover With Paper Challenge! To be in with a chance of winning some great Tando goodies of your choice, please make a piece based on any of our weekly themes and link your project, not just your blog, using the inlinkz tool located at the top of the Tando Blog. You don't have to use any Tando product, but, if you do, you will be entered into the draw twice! There are no limits to how many times you enter, however, we do request that you only enter your piece for 5 challenges. We look forward to seeing your creations!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Quickie Birthday Card by Kaz

 I've made a card (of course) for our Anything Goes week:

I've used my ~{Bullseye Mask}~ and lightly sprayed ink through it, then painted some of

 the circles from the ~{Grid Round}~ with acrylic paint. I then added some white paint pen dots and finished off with a watercoloured image.

Kaz xxx

Celebrate the New Year with Dana

Hi Tando fans! Dana here today sharing a card that I created to help celebrate the New Year. I've been using the Round Grid a lot lately and have saved the small circles that I punched out of the grid. They made great buttons for this black tie card! I simply colored the chipboard with black ink and glued them onto layers of white cardstock.

You can find the Round Grid in the New Releases section of the Tando Retail Shop. I hope you all start your New Year off with a bang! Thanks for stopping by today!

Christmas Canvas with Dana

Hi Tando fans! Dana here today sharing another festive 3x3 canvas for our Christmas/Celebrate theme this week.

I layered a piece of Round Grid over my colored and stamped canvas. I love the dimension this layer of chipboard adds to my piece! (You can find all the Grid designs in the NEW RELEASES section of the Tando Retail Shop.) I framed my image with pieces of a Holly Flourish that I painted, stamped and glittered.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Free For All - Altered Matchbox

Hi Tando fans! Dana here today starting of our Free For All week with an altered matchbox. I was inspired to make this piece after seeing some gorgeous matchboxes created by Gio Zara, who has her own line of amazing stencils out with Tando.

I started with a piece of sheet music which I then distressed with ink and wrapped around a matchbox. I layered a piece of lace and a twine bow over the paper. I then covered circle waste from the Round Grid with gesso and glitter and glued them randomly around the box. I topped the box with an embellished Mini Book Plate to finish.



Thanks for stopping by today! You can pick up this chipboard, and everything else put out by Tando, in their new Retail Shop.

Magical Christmas Canvas

Hi Tando fans! Dana here today kicking off our Christmas/Celebrate week with a festive 3x3 canvas. This small canvas size is quickly becoming my favorite project, second only to arches. I'm thinking about creating several pieces like this and using them for gift toppers rather than store-bought bows.

I layered a piece of Round Grid over my colored and stamped canvas. I love the dimension this layer of chipboard adds to my piece! (You can find all the Grid designs in the NEW RELEASES section of the Tando Retail Shop.) I framed my image with pieces of a Holly Flourish that I painted, stamped and glittered.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Black and Grey Wavy Gothic Arch

This month's colour scheme of black and grey had me stumped for a while, until I was making the ~{chipboard stamps}~ and I thought the punched circles looked like eyes, so I made this:

I've painted a ~{Wavy Gothic Arch}~ with black acrylic paint and then used one of my chipboard stamps to stamp a grey wall effect on the bottom. I punched 2 circles from ~{Grid Round}~ using the Crop o Dile and painted them white. They have been stuck on and I've added doodling with white pen (Uni Posca - best pen ever) and a pc generated quote that I got on Pinterest.

Kaz xxx

Free For All - Making Stamps with Chipboard

For this month's Free For All I've done something a little different - I've made my own stamps using some chipboard. It produces a lovely sketchy result. Here's a finished card before I tell you how I did it:

I used the ~{Tornado}~ mask and it's the diamonds that are the stamp.

I've used ~{ATC's}~ as the base so I've got something firm to start with and stuck down some pieces from the new Grid ranges using Glossy Accents:
~{Grid Rectangle}~ I also used part of the grid as another stamp,
~{Gird Round}~
~{Grid Diamond}~

I had a play with various different products to add as a seal to the chipboard so it will stamp rather than absorb the ink. Glazing fluid, gel medium and Mod Podge all work, but acrylic paint works just as well so I've painted that onto the surfaces and trimmed the edges down to make positioning easier:

I then used the inside of ~{Karen's Frame - Gothic Arch}~ and cut an arrow from it. You can use a scalpel or a strong pair of scissors to cut it down to size, and I also used one of the ~{Mini Arrows}~. I've stuck EZ Mount onto the back of the ATC's to attach to the acrylic block:

Here are a few images of the resulting stamping:

As my journal is quite lumpy and bumpy (just how I like it) the arrow didn't stamp perfectly, so I just filled it in with a pen:

I've been using them quite a lot as they are exactly what I wanted from them! You can use inkpads or paint and you can just wipe them with a baby wipe afterwards.

I then went on and made some more a few days later and these are my most favourite yet. I used all the snippings and little bits to make a more random wall effect and I used the Crop o Dile to punch holes through the centres of some of the Grid Rounds.

Kaz xxx